BUSAN, South Korea: A documentary that takes an intimate look at the daily dramas of foreign domestic workers has premiered at Asia’s largest film festival, with its director pushing a fresh perspective on the millions employed in homes across the globe. “So much of what we hear and see about them is sensational or negative,” said Baby Ruth Villarama on the sidelines of the 21st Busan International Film Festival in South Korea. Villarama’s quietly engaging “Sunday Beauty Queen” is in the running for the major documentary prize in Busan and follows a group of foreign domestic workers in Hong Kong as they prepare to take part in an annual beauty pageant. It’s about this dream to be happy, despite their struggles, and we are all looking for a happy ending in our lives.”Although exact numbers from individual nations are hard to come by, the International Labor Organization estimates there are around 50 million overseas domestic workers employed globally. Hong Kong employs an estimated 300,000 foreign domestic workers—the majority from the Philippines and Indonesia.

Source: Manila Times October 10, 2016 05:48 UTC